Tampa Bay Marathon Swim 2012

This is the official "cheering"/discussion thread for the 15th Annual Tampa Bay Marathon Swim, to be held on April 21. Race director @RonCollins just released the official start list of 16 solo swimmers:

Jeeze....thanks for the info @evmo and @bobswins! Shipping channel for me. I was whining in the Harlem last year at MIMS when it was 68. Thought my head was gonna pop off... I better stay away from the power plant! Though the 86 degree pool I train in might come in handy. It probably has more toxins than a nuclear power plant does...

Another navigational tip: Don't try to cut the corner going around Pinellas Point unless your boat captain knows the bottom topography like the back of his hand. It gets extremely shallow in parts and you risk running aground.

My pilot took the more conservative route (straight out into the Bay), and I still managed to hit an unexpected shoal and sliced my hand open on a bed of oysters. My first thought was, "A shark is going to smell this from 20 miles away."

Plus, it's debatable whether cutting the corner saves time anyway, since you're not benefiting from the current further out in the Bay.

Here's a shot from last year, a few minutes before the start. Hope you guys get better conditions!

Check my blog entry at www.bobswims.com for ariel view of my successful short cut. Yes I did have to bend my elbow to avoid scraping the bottom, but the current pushed me along at a good clip. It put me back in with the leaders (at least for a little while). But make sure you check the course out the day before with your pilot, and have your kayaker guide you through.

3hr15min into the race, @ssthomas is approaching St. Pete Pier. She's the overall leader, just ahead of Mauro Gianconia and the Hammerhead relay. @caburke is in a tight race for 3rd with Patti Bauernfeind. @ForeverSwim took his pic of Sarah: